The UK will continue delivering COVID-19 vaccines around the world, including to Uganda, to ensure equitable access to the vaccines to help tackle the pandemic. Five million of these doses are being offered to the COVAX Facility to ensure equitable, global access to COVID-19 vaccines.
Packs of LFD tests will be distributed from locations across the Highlands from Monday 17 January to Friday 21 January. The Highland Council and NHS Highland are working in partnership to increase availability of Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests throughout the Highlands.
Seven of the Council's Area Committees are now inviting applications under the first round of the Place-Based Investment programme. Community groups and local organisations are being encouraged to apply and make sure they don’t miss the various January 2022 deadlines.
Sutherland Members have agreed to primarily invest in local playparks for improvement from the Scottish Government's Place Based Investment Programme. The fund was set up to enable a flexible local response to address the four harms of COVID-19, which were identified as direct health harms; health impacts not directly related to COVID; societal impacts and economic impacts.
The Highland Council is advising drivers that two temporary overnight road closures will be in place in Sutherland next week in order for Network Rail to carry out works. The first is the B871 Kinbrace - Syre Road which will be closed from its junction with the A897 Helmsdale - Melvich Road to its junction with the B873 Syre - Altnaharra Road from 20:00 hours on 14 November 2021 to 07:00 hours on 15 November 2021.
The regeneration of the Achtercairn site in Gairloch, north west Highlands, has won ‘Best Regeneration Project - Rural & Suburban' at the Inside Housing Development Awards in London. The awards celebrate the very best residential developments across the UK, and recognise innovation in striving for more sustainable and net-zero solutions.
The uptake of the COVID vaccine programme in NHS Highland has been excellent and we fully appreciate that many are now keen to get their COVID booster and their flu vaccination. In Sutherland NHS Highland will be delivering COVID vaccination clinics for the following GP Practices - • Golspie Medical Practice (COVID) • Helmsdale/Brora (COVID) • Tongue Health Centre (COVID) Eligible patients with these practices will be invited by letter.
As the nation starts planning for Christmas early to avoid supply shortages, new research reveals the misjudged gifts you should AVOID giving your friends and family. The research, from the UK's number one sharing app OLIO, found that 34 per cent thought that a dead plant was one of the worst gifts you could receive; with out-of-date chocolates next on the list (29 per cent) as well as loo roll (29 per cent); perfume that smells awful (26 per cent) and regifting someone the same thing they gave you last year all featuring as gifts that are most likely to end up straight in the bin.
The Highland Council has approved a number of key recommendations as part of its medium term financial planning approach. Councillors considered revenue budget projections for the coming financial year, medium term planning for future budgets over the next 5 years and forecasted budget gaps, as well as a number of capital developments and future capital strategy.
Highland Council members, during their Committee meeting which took place today, considered a detailed appraisal of options for taking forward a new Care Facility for the North Coast, to be located in Tongue. This built upon the prior commitments to take forward a new Care Facility to replace the existing Melvich and Caladh Sona care homes operated by NHS Highland.
There's "up north" and then there's Unst, the most northerly of Britain's inhabited islands. Part of Shetland’s North Isles - along with Yell and Fetlar - at 19km (12 miles) long and 8km (5 miles) wide, Unst has all you could want for an island adventure.
A new report launched (Wednesday 29th September 2021), commissioned by Caithness Chamber of Commerce on behalf of the Caithness & North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership, demonstrates the economic benefits that Space Hub Sutherland will bring to the North Highland and Moray areas. Space Hub Sutherland - a new satellite launch site - will bring huge employment and tourism benefits to the Scottish Highlands.
The Chairs of two Highland Council Area Committees have spoken of their relief that the voices of communities have been heard following the announcement yesterday that the Scottish Parliament's Local Government and Housing and Planning Committee have recommend that the proposals by Boundaries Scotland to change the electoral wards in Highland be rejected. Chair of the Sutherland Committee, Councillor Richard Gale said: "I am delighted with this result.
The Highland Council has today (27 August 2021) welcomed Scottish Government's publication of a forward-thinking report on coastal change for the area in East Sutherland stretching from Golspie to Coul. It provides a summary of the latest ‘Dynamic Coast' science and is intended to support key partners in developing and implementing a response, which could include resilience and adaptation measures.
Scottish Government launch touring fund for live music. Musicians, bands, artists and venues will be able to apply to a £750,000 Scottish Government fund to bring new and additional concerts to venues and festivals in Scotland next year.
Rapid COVID-19 community testing will be available in Golspie from Wednesday 25 August to Friday 27 August. The Highland Council and NHS Highland are delivering community testing in the Highlands to help people become confident in using the Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test kits.
The Chair of The Highland Council's Sutherland County Committee has congratulated Timespan, a cultural organisation in Helmsdale, for reaching the shortlist for this year’s Art Fund Museum of the Year award. Cllr Richard Gale said: "This is excellent news for Timespan, the local community, and for the Highlands.
There is still time for eligible residents to benefit from up to 100%* Scottish Government grant funding available for First Time Central Heating. This would be delivered through the installation of an air source heat pump, new radiators and new controls.
The Highland Council is today (16 August 2021) launching a Common Good consultation giving the Dornoch community until 11 October 2021 to respond to proposals to dispose, by sale, of two small areas of Dornoch Common Good land. The details of the areas of land are as follows.: At 1 River Street, Dornoch to correct a deficit in title - area of land measuring 49m².
At today's Sutherland County Committee meeting, it was agreed to adopt the development of a long-term vision for north west Highland - "North West 2045 Our Future Our Choice". Started in Autumn 2020, the North West 2045 (NW2045) project was formed by a diverse group of local organisations and has the following objectives.: Co-create a community-led, long-term vision for the future of north west Highland to 2045 through a wide engagement process that allows the collective community voice to be heard externally.
